Healthy vegetable soup full of winter veggies in a strong beef bone broth will cheer you up not only now in autumn. This time we add fragrant spices such as ginger, star anise and cinnamon to the broth, which combined with the miso paste make a lovely broth that will remind you of Asian soups.
If you want to try something new than the usual beef broth with noodles, try this nutritious, flavorful version ! Among other things, this soup is very simple to make, especially when you already have the broth ready. The absolute easiest way is to let the broth simmer in the slow cooker overnight. Then all you have to do in the morning is just throw all the ingredients in the pot, boil it, and you have lunch in no time.
Beef broth with vegetables and barley is great on its own, but you know what it's absolutely perfect with? With crunchy sandwiches , and not just any sandwiches, but topped with delicious caramelized onions. These sandwiches will be ready before you even cook the veggies in the soup until soft!
What is miso paste?
Miso paste is a condiment that is made from fermented soybeans or grains such as rice or barley. There are many types of miso paste available in stores today, which vary in color and resulting taste. These characteristics are influenced not only by what the miso paste is made from, but also by the length of fermentation. However, the result is always a salty taste, with a distinct umami flavor, the so called '5th taste'.
Miso paste is traditionally used in Japanese Miso soup, but it can also be used in "regular" cooking where it can substitute for salt. Miso paste can be used in both cold and hot cuisine. However, miso paste retains most of its health benefits if it is not cooked. Just mix the miso paste with a little water or broth before using.
To avoid over-salting, always salt your food after using miso paste. You can also try using miso paste to season different salad dressings, add it to marinades for meat and vegetables or to different sauces. Don't be afraid of miso paste! After adding miso paste to your food, you will definitely not get food that has a distinctly exotic taste or smell! Think of it more as an all-purpose condiment that is similar to soy sauce.
Why add barley to the soup?
I have come to love adding barley to soups instead of noodles. It's not that I somehow don't like them, but when I make soups I most often have them with some toast, croutons or freshly baked sourdough bread...
... so it's enough wheat for me and I try to not add more into my soups. My favorite thing about barley is that it stays nice and chewy, after it's cooked! Plus, it has a versatile taste and is really healthy!
Barley contains B vitamins, silicium, which helps to improve the elasticity of cartilage, ligaments and tendons and, as well as buckwheat, it warms up the body, so it's the IDEAL ADDING into soups !
Why should barley be soaked?
It is a good idea to soak barley in water for at least two hours before making soup, preferably with a splash of vinegar. The soaking will reduce the cooking time and, together with the vinegar, help to reduce the amount of phytic acid. This allows our body to take in more of the health benefits found in barley.
How to make beef broth with miso paste, barley and winter vegetables?
First we need to make the broth. Put the beef and bones in a large pot for the broth, add all the spices, cover with water and let it simmer for about 4-6 hours. I like to make the broth in the slow cooker for about 16 hours. Or use a pressure cooker, for about 1 hour.
For the soup , saute onion and carrot in the pot along with the crushed garlic cloves and saute for about 3-5 minutes.
Add the barley, chopped vegetables (kale, celery, potatoes) to the pot and cook until tender 15-20 minutes. If you want to use the barley without soaking , that is dry, cook it first for 10 minutes together with the roasted onions and carrots and then add the winter vegetables.
Add miso paste at the end of cooking! First, mix a teaspoon of miso paste separately with a little broth, either in a bowl or in a ladle, and then add it to the soup.
Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and it is also delicious with finely chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil). Serve the soup nice and hot and preferably with crunchy cheese sandwiches.
How to make crunchy cheese and caramelized onion sandwiches?
There is nothing better than a crunchy sandwich with delicious melted cheese, especially when topped with caramelized onions. You'll want to make this sandwich for every meal!
The base is caramelized onions . You can make more of it as needed, store it in the fridge, and use it to season other dishes too, because it adds a lot of great flavor! For the caramelized onions, slice a few onions and fry in a pan with a tablespoon of oil. Add a pinch of salt, a pinch of cane sugar, and some spices if you like. I think thyme or ground bay leaves go great with onions!
Sauté the onions over a low heat for about 10-15 minutes until golden, then add a splash of balsamic vinegar, let it evaporate and that's it!
To assemble the sandwiches , use a few slices of a wonderful sandwich bread. Add a spoonful of caramelized onions to a slice of bread and top with slices of cheese. Ideally use cheese such as eidam, gouda or emmental, which has about 45% fat in the dry matter. The fat will make the cheese melt beautifully when cooked! Toast the sandwiches in a contact grill, or on both sides in a pan with a little butter. Serve while still warm with soup.
TIPS:
What vegetables can I add to the soup?
This is a really great soup and it's also such a guide. I would really highlight the broth here, because it is the alpha and omega of this soup.
But as for the vegetables, you can be totally creative! It's the end of autumn so I'm staying true to kale and root vegetables! But it will also be great with diced sweet potatoes, pumpkin or eggplant. You can also try sliced leeks or zucchini or add a handful of corn or peas at the very end of cooking.
The only thing I'd avoid is using beetroot and peppers, they can overpower the fragrant broth!
Recipe
Recipe 4-6 servings
Beef miso broth with barley and winter vegetables
Ingredients:
for the broth:
- 0,5 kg beef for soup (bones, meat)
- approx. 2 m piece of fresh ginger
- 1/4 tsp of ground ginger
- ¼ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- small piece of cinnamon
- small piece of star anise
- salt
- 1,7 l water
for the soup:
- 100 g barley, pre-soaked
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 0,5 kg winter vegetables, sliced (kale, celeriac, potatoes)
- 1 tsp miso paste (brown)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
- First, make the broth. Put the beef and bones in a large pot for the broth, add all the spices, cover with water and let it simmer for about 4-6 hours. I like to make the broth in the slow cooker for about 16 hours. Or use a pressure cooker, for about 1 hour.
- For the soup, saute onion and carrot in the pot along with the crushed garlic cloves and saute for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the barley, chopped vegetables (kale, celery, potatoes) to the pot and cook until tender for 15-20 minutes.
- Add miso paste at the end of cooking! Mix a teaspoon of miso paste separately with a little broth, either in a bowl or in a ladle, and then add it to the soup.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and it is also delicious with finely chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil). Serve the soup nice and hot and preferably with crunchy cheese sandwiches.
TIPS: If you want to use barley without soaking , that is dry, cook it first for 10 minutes together with the roasted onions and carrots and then add the winter vegetables.
You may also like:
- All Post
- Back
- Breakfast
- Soups
- Breads
- Dessert
- Main dishes
- Others
- Sides
